England 10 France 53: Red Rose a shambles from start to finish as they suffer humiliating record defeat in Six Nations
ENGLAND’S Marcus Smith gamble turned into a Twickenham humiliation as they sank to their all-time heaviest home defeat.
While Smith fluffed his lines in attack and defence after replacing skipper Owen Farrell in the starting line-up, Steve Borthwick’s men were crushed by French beef and the brilliance of scrum half Antoine Dupont.
France had waited 18 years for a Six Nations win at Twickenham.
But they could not have imagined it would be so easy or comprehensive as they ran in SEVEN tries, including two each for lock Thibaut Flament, flanker Charle Ollivon and winger Damian Penaud.
England were a shambles from start to finish, obliterated in every phase of the game and left beyond ragged, with the first blow inside two minutes as France opened up from deep inside their own half.
Ollivon and Flament punched the initial holes, with winger Ethan Dumortier taking the ball into the 22 before feeding Thomas Ramos for an easy run-in try.
Full-back Ramos, who ended up with 23 points, added the extras plus another penalty when England infringed at a ruck.
And while Borthwick’s side made a series of errors, including poor kicks by both Smith and Jack van Poortvliet, they were simultaneously being booted all over the park by France skipper Dupont.
England had no answers and Dupont’s genius, finding touch 10 yards out from inside his own half to earn the throw-in, brought the second try as Flament touched down next to the posts.
Smith did get England on the scoreboard only for them to give three points straight back from the restart.
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More pain came on the stroke of half-time as the England scrum buckled, No 8 Gregory Alldritt picked and drove for Ollivon to score.
Soon after Max Malins let Smith’s perfect kick slip through his arms as he attempted to ground it, and with Farrell now on for Henry Slade, Fredie Steward barrelled over.
But it was a false dawn as England capitulated.
Steward fatally allowed a Dupont chip to bounce, Flament poaching his second of the match.
Then Smith was forced back and robbed of possession on his own line, with Ollivon leaning over the top of the ruck to put downward pressure on the ball.
When Romain Ntamack’s cross-kick brought a total mismatch between flyer Penaud and Alex Dombrandt, the record books were officially being rewritten, confirmed when the right-winger romped over in the corner for his second and France’s magnificent seventh.
No wonder the home fans – those who had not left long before the end – booed. England have only got to go to Dublin next week. Good luck.